Apparatus for the smoothing of shirts

ABSTRACT

A device for smoothing garments and, especially, shirts, includes an inflatable bag, whereby the garment is placed, especially in the moist state, on the inflatable bag and is, then, stretched and dried by hot air by inflating the inflatable bag. To prevent the garment from being displaced on the inflatable bag, a catch can be applied to the surface thereof, the catch having a surface with a higher friction coefficient. The catch does not impede air from permeating the inflatable bag so that the garment will dry also in the coated areas. The catch can also be used to specifically influence the air permeability of the cover of the inflatable bag to achieve even drying of the garment.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application is a continuation of copending InternationalApplication No. PCT/EP01/13560, filed Nov. 21, 2001, which designatedthe United States and was not published in English.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Field of the Invention

[0003] The invention relates to an apparatus for the smoothing ofshirts, wherein the shirts are laid upon an inflatable bag and smoothedby hot air.

[0004] According to a known technique, shirts are smoothed by beingfastened at various points and blown and stretched by hot air.Accordingly, the shirt can be pulled apart at the fastened points.

[0005] According to another technique for the smoothing of shirts, aninflatable bag is utilized, around which the shirt is placed. In such acase, the shirt need not be fastened, because the inflatable bag holdsthe shirt. The cuffs are smoothed by sleeve portions of the inflatablebag. A known technique in the utilization of an inflatable bag is tofasten the button strip and the sleeves or collar of the shirt so as notto have to button it up, as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 3,165,244 to Dosal.

[0006] In selecting the material for this kind of inflatable bag, careis taken that, on one hand, the material conducts to the shirt theenergy that is conveyed by the hot air, and, on the other hand, that thematerial is not heat-sensitive so that it does not become worn under theheat effect of the supplied air. However, given the utilization of onlyone material for fabricating an inflatable bag according to the priorart, it is not possible to vary or modify the respective surfaceproperty of the inflatable bag in particular regions, or, if it ispossible, this can be done only by complicated measures such asproviding multi-layer regions. But, utilizing different materials raisesthe cost of the fabrication methods and influences the behavior of theinflatable bag because the individual pieces of the inflatable bag mustbe joined by seams and are, consequently, of limited utility.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide anapparatus for the smoothing of shirts that overcomes thehereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices ofthis general type and in which the surface of the inflatable bag can beadapted to specific conditions section by section; that is to say, thesurface properties can be varied section by section.

[0008] With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided,in accordance with the invention, an apparatus for smoothing shirts withan inflatable shirt-shaped bag includes a torso, two sleeve portions,and a collar portion, whereby a grid is deposited, in parts orcontinuously, on the surface of the bag.

[0009] The grid on the surface of the inflatable bag can change theproperty of the bag by reducing the air permeability of the material.Thus, the portions of the bag in which a grid has been deposited permitless heat transmission to the shirt than portions in which a grid hasnot been applied. The grid, thus, makes it possible to control the airpermeability.

[0010] In accordance with another feature of the invention, the grid canbe configured such that it can serve as an anti-slip flocking or ananti-slip coating in the form of neps. The provision of an anti-slipflocking or anti-slip neps on the whole surface of the shirt-shaped bagor only part of its surface in specified regions makes it impossible forthe shirt to slip off or out of place once it has been placed on thebag, which would interfere with the smoothing of the shirt by causingthe formation of warps or wrinkles. The smoothing process is, thus,simplified by the improvement in adhesion by the flocking or neps. Theneps or elevations can be provided with a coating with a highercoefficient of friction, particularly, on their top end.

[0011] In accordance with a further feature of the invention, theregions in which the grid is provided as an anti-slip flocking isair-permeable. As a result, the shirt is particularly advantageouslysmoothed by the supplied hot air in these regions as well.Alternatively, the grid can be air-impermeable.

[0012] In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the gridcan be deposited by a printing technique, for instance, silkscreenprinting. But it is also possible to utilize any technique that is knownto an ordinary person skilled in the art for depositing the grid.

[0013] In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention,preferably, the grid is deposited as dots in lines that are staggered inpairs. The air permeability can, thus, be influenced by the surface areaof the dots.

[0014] Other features that are considered as characteristic for theinvention are set forth in the appended claims.

[0015] Although the invention is illustrated and described herein asembodied in an apparatus for the smoothing of shirts, it is,nevertheless, not intended to be limited to the details shown becausevarious modifications and structural changes may be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention and within the scope andrange of equivalents of the claims.

[0016] The construction and method of operation of the invention,however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, willbe best understood from the following description of specificembodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017]FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, front elevational view of an apparatusfor smoothing shirts according to the invention; and

[0018]FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of an exemplifying embodiment ofthe inventive grid according to the invention on the surface of aninflatable bag.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first,particularly to FIG. 2 thereof, there is shown a schematic front view ofan apparatus 1 for smoothing shirts with an inflatable bag 2 which ismounted on a base 6 (represented in a fragment). The inflatable bag 2includes a torso portion 3, two sleeve portions 4, and a collar portion5. The base 6, which also serves as a stand for the device, includes afan 7 and a heater 8 for inflating the bag 2 with hot air.

[0020] As represented in FIG. 2, a grid 7 is deposited on the surface ofthe bag 2. As a result, in the region of the grid 7, only thoselocations of the bag 2 at which the grid 7 has not been depositedconduct hot air to the shirt on the bag 2. In other words, the locationsat which the grid 7 is provided repel the air that is introduced intothe bag 2.

[0021] The grid 7 is constructed as an anti-slip coating in the form ofneps. Such a coating guarantees that the shirt cannot slip off or out ofplace once it has been placed on the bag so that the smoothing of theshirt is not adversely affected by the formation of warps or wrinkles.

We claim:
 1. An apparatus for smoothing shirts, comprising: aninflatable shirt-shaped bag having a surface and a grid deposited atleast on parts of said surface.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1,wherein said bag has a torso portion, two sleeve portions, and a collarportion.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said grid is ananti-slip coating.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein saidanti-slip coating is flocking.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 3,wherein said anti-slip coating is constructed as flocking.
 6. Theapparatus according to claim 3, wherein said anti-slip coating is in theform of elevations.
 7. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein saidanti-slip coating has elevations.
 8. The apparatus according to claim 6,wherein said elevations are neps.
 9. The apparatus according to claim 7,wherein said elevations are neps.
 10. The apparatus according to claim1, wherein said grid is air-permeable.
 11. The apparatus according toclaim 3, wherein said grid is air-permeable.
 12. The apparatus accordingto claim 1, wherein said grid is air-impermeable.
 13. The apparatusaccording to claim 3, wherein said grid is air-impermeable.
 14. Theapparatus according to claim 1, wherein said grid is deposited as dotsin lines that are staggered in pairs.
 15. The apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein said grid is a print-deposited grid.
 16. An apparatusfor smoothing shirts, comprising: an inflatable shirt-shaped bag havinga surface and a grid deposited one of on parts of said surface andcontinuously on said surface.